Corco's Villa (IC)

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

One of the girls says "I though a soul was required at the center of a monstrous transformation"

Hamussi: "Perhaps. But this is a far-reaching game we have observed. Perhaps that explains the transformation from monster to human. She was born or created a monster, but now you see her as human."

"Huh. I didn't think your blood-reading would be so subjective."

I purple my skin and splay my tentacles. I raise my arms and a couple tentacles. "You got me."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Hamussi: And yet you have taken the trappings of a witch.

OCC:You have fortune telling on your fluff skills.

"It's just a parlour trick. Would you like to see it?"

If Hamussi or one of her daughters agrees, I'll do a cold-reading and explain how it works.

[752] 24-02-13 21:26:10 GMT - TGLS

Fortune-telling

3d6 <= 15
3 + 2 + 5 = 10 ... success

Originally Posted by ericthered

Hamussi: "I do not think he has blocked my divination. His body lies within six furlongs of where you left him. Something strange is going on. Something I have never seen before. Why would he curse himself to death? And who would have taken his possessions? It would seem whoever did that also slit his throat. But I do not know why that would be."

I turn to V. "Body swapping, perhaps? Jump in a new body, kill the immortal previous host knowing the fated death.... Maybe we need another conversation with that peasant."

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

"Huh. I didn't think your blood-reading would be so subjective."

I purple my skin and splay my tentacles. I raise my arms and a couple tentacles. "You got me."

Hassami: "Marvelous. A Monstrous form that appears completely human. Can you show me how to do it? No, you said this was not a transformation, but a birth."

"It's just a parlour trick. Would you like to see it?"

If Hamussi or one of her daughters agrees, I'll do a cold-reading and explain how it works.

"oh, that. Strange. Yes, show my girls what this looks like. Not many practice it."

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Hassami: "Marvelous. A Monstrous form that appears completely human. Can you show me how to do it? No, you said this was not a transformation, but a birth."

"Construction, but same difference. I can adjust my skin, and well, you can't. I can hide my limbs, and you don't need to. Tear off my clothes and the illusion I'm a human vanishes."

Originally Posted by ericthered

"oh, that. Strange. Yes, show my girls what this looks like. Not many practice it."

I ask a series of leading questions focused around their dreams to get them talking. Then when I get the idea of what they want to hear (not just the question they asked), I weave a story that takes in details I gathered, details I guessed, double-talk that can be interpreted as convenient, and just things they want to hear.

[the_matrix_walker]

Vassarious watches the exchange with some amusement while getting to know these people, taking in their mannerisms and emotions to better know them... to know what he is dealing with. They curious to be sure, but wary even more so.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

I ask a series of leading questions focused around their dreams to get them talking. Then when I get the idea of what they want to hear (not just the question they asked), I weave a story that takes in details I gathered, details I guessed, double-talk that can be interpreted as convenient, and just things they want to hear.

They cooperate, and Halcyone picks up they all want to know she's going to say about one of them... she has some weird specific prophesy she doesn't particularly like sticking to her. Its about when she grows up, maybe an ill-marriage, or a early death, or a curse fated to fall on her.


They're also testing Halcyone: they're intentionally hiding details to see if she can guess the real fate. If Halcyone wants, she can target the real fate... or she can get something simple about the other two.

I turn to V. "Body swapping, perhaps? Jump in a new body, kill the immortal previous host knowing the fated death.... Maybe we need another conversation with that peasant."

I think this is the thread of the plot.


Hassami: "Is that even possible? I have never heard of it. But if the body has been separated from the soul... perhaps my sister could find his soul."

[the_matrix_walker]

Originally Posted by ericthered

They're also testing Halcyone: they're intentionally hiding details to see if she can guess the real fate. If Halcyone wants, she can target the real fate... or she can get something simple about the other two.

Halycone is demonstrating a flim-flam scam reading as a demonstration, not a real one, are they not?

Originally Posted by TGLS

I turn to V. "Body swapping, perhaps? Jump in a new body, kill the immortal previous host knowing the fated death.... Maybe we need another conversation with that peasant."

I'd considered the possibility, but going to investigate would leave the apparent target unguarded, which is why we are here instead.

Originally Posted by ericthered

I think this is the thread of the plot.


Hassami: "Is that even possible? I have never heard of it. But if the body has been separated from the soul... perhaps my sister could find his soul."

Now we're talking!

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

Halycone is demonstrating a flim-flam scam reading as a demonstration, not a real one, are they not?

Unconscious hedge magic maybe? Stage magic becoming real because XYZ has been a neat idea to me for a while.

Originally Posted by ericthered

They cooperate, and Halcyone picks up they all want to know she's going to say about one of them... she has some weird specific prophesy she doesn't particularly like sticking to her. Its about when she grows up, maybe an ill-marriage, or a early death, or a curse fated to fall on her.

They're also testing Halcyone: they're intentionally hiding details to see if she can guess the real fate. If Halcyone wants, she can target the real fate... or she can get something simple about the other two.

"Dreams reveal a lot but this... It's..."

I (unconsciously?) target the real fate. It does seem to be more interesting, and would be more impressive to guess at that one.

Originally Posted by ericthered

I think this is the thread of the plot.

Hassami: "Is that even possible? I have never heard of it. But if the body has been separated from the soul... perhaps my sister could find his soul."

"Well, lots of things are impossible. But making the impossible, possible isn't one of them."

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

I'd considered the possibility, but going to investigate would leave the apparent target unguarded, which is why we are here instead.

"Well, let's see if this Yi fellow's soul has gone astray."

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

Halycone is demonstrating a flim-flam scam reading as a demonstration, not a real one, are they not?

Originally Posted by TGLS

Unconscious hedge magic maybe? Stage magic becoming real because XYZ has been a neat idea to me for a while.

Yes, but you're talking to budding fortune tellers who know what the answer is themselves. They've given away which girl they want her to talk about, and a good deal about what the actual fate is, just by the way they talk.

"Dreams reveal a lot but this... It's..."

I (unconsciously?) target the real fate. It does seem to be more interesting, and would be more impressive to guess at that one.

Halcyone doesn't guess, so much as make ambiguous statements with a kernel of advice. The girls gasp.


Girl: "How did you about my marriage prophecy?"
Hassami: "She didn't. Not until you just told her now. She knew there was something. Now you see what can be done without fate, just like I've always told you. Magic can be crutch, especially at court."
Girl: "But you're not at court. You're here."
Hassami: "And I can run in circles around you, which tells you just how much you have to learn."

I'd considered the possibility, but going to investigate would leave the apparent target unguarded, which is why we are here instead.


Now we're talking!

"Well, lots of things are impossible. But making the impossible, possible isn't one of them."

Hassami: "From anyone or anything else, I'd take that with skepticism."

"Well, let's see if this Yi fellow's soul has gone astray."

Hassami gets her sister, who uses fire and smoke for her readings. She's again disappointed by the lack of a firm connection to Yi, but ask for some of your hair and frayed threads to burn with incense, and takes the reading, watching the smoke sway back and forth.



"Your friend is alive. He has masked his movements from scrying, but he is within a few days journey of here. Or so goes my reading. I understand Hassami reading says he's dead and buried by the headwaters of the Euphrates."

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Halcyone doesn't guess, so much as make ambiguous statements with a kernel of advice. The girls gasp.

Girl: "How did you about my marriage prophecy?"

I smile as she slips up.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Hassami: "From anyone or anything else, I'd take that with skepticism."

"Believe you me, a few years ago I would be more than just skeptical."

Originally Posted by ericthered

"Your friend is alive. He has masked his movements from scrying, but he is within a few days journey of here. Or so goes my reading. I understand Hassami reading says he's dead and buried by the headwaters of the Euphrates."

I get out a map and draw a line from the town we buried him at to the apparent current position. Is it heading towards the caves?

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

I get out a map and draw a line from the town we buried him at to the apparent current position. Is it heading towards the caves?

The divination is not that precise... but it does give a general quadrant, and its the quadrant you'd expect.